Exams and Goodbyes

By: Miles Qualmann

12/12/2013

I've finished all of my exams! Well…I only had two. I've finished all of my assignments, exams, and projects! Yeah, that sounds better. After a couple of papers, two final exams, and one final portfolio, I have finished all of my schoolwork here in Australia! While the exam hall (the gym converts into the exam hall for a week) is reminiscent of Hogwarts, I managed to get through the intimidating look of the place and finish my exams. The pressure is off, and I get to spend the next couple of days relaxing and getting some last-minute things from Australia, including, but not limited to, boxes upon boxes of Tim-Tams.

As exams are coming to a close, and friends are leaving to go back home or to continue their adventures, I've had to start saying goodbye to a lot of my friends I've made in Australia. Many of my Australian friends are in the Medical program here at Bond and have already headed back home for the holidays. I'm happy that I got to enjoy one last night out with them at the casino in town for a few hours…okay a few hours might be an understatement. But I did get to enjoy my very first Australian sunrise. They've taken me in as one of their own, even though I have no clue what they are talking about when they discuss their schoolwork. I'm extremely thankful for them all and wish them all the best with the rest of their university careers and their lives after school.

I'm also thankful for all my other friends that I've come to meet while here at Bond. My German friends, my Dutch friends, Swedish and Chinese friends, this experience would not have been as great without all of them. I'm grateful that you have come into my life and I hope that I will be able to see you all again someday. Good luck with all your adventures in the coming weeks and months!

Goodbyes are never easy. So that being said, I haven't told many people 'goodbye,' but instead a hopeful "take care, see you later." I think it's easier that way. It's not like I'm leaving these people forever, because in reality, I'm just a few thousand miles away, and a second away on Facebook. I never thought I would use a quote in this blog; it's usually a bit cheesy, but author J.M. Barrie describes goodbyes better than I could. In his book Peter Pan (maybe you've heard of it) he says this: "Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting." This is why I don't like goodbyes. I don't want to be forgotten. I want my story of all my adventures with my new friends in Australia to live on. I don't want people to see me go away forever, but instead just be a little while away.